INVESTIGATIVE

FEATURE | INVESTIGATIVE

Quarantine Unraveled: Unheard Narratives

Written by Mdpwn. Franzesca Mari B. Bautista and Mdpn. John Rovic T. Lopez Photos by Mdpn. Mark Joseph D. Alovera and Mdpn. John Raylan P. Bañes

Dark clouds encroached the sky—rain was about to fall. A long line of people patiently waited for financial aid. Their bodies dripping with sweat, they endured the summer heat. Famished, they hoped for food; penniless, they wished to survive. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed seafarers despite the revocation of Enhanced Community that 7.3 million Filipinos were left unemployed last April Quarantine (ECQ). 2/O Joven Necor was one of the 2020. The pandemic has brought about a record high of thousands of seafarers who had difficulty embarking; he 17.7 percent unemployment rate. was on vacation for 18 months. Fortunately, the rate dropped to 10 percent by “Mga seaman sa bakasyon, stress na. Because July 2020 due to the easing of lockdown protocols. sa pressure ng bills, payments and to put food on their Nevertheless, Philippine Daily Inquirer writes that 4.6 plates. Wanting to get back onboard para may sahod but million Filipinos remain jobless—indicating a higher indi basta basta maka sampa because of border closure unemployment rate than the 5.4 percent of 2019. of airlines. And to some, loss of jobs of course. Kasi ang As of September 2020, the World Bank reports that dami din barko ang na lay-off, nalugi, indi na bumiyahe the Philippines’ unemployment rate is expected to rise to because of this pandemic,” said Joven. 6.2 percent. The increase implies an additional 1 million (Seafarers on vacation are already stressed. jobless Filipinos, and 2 million Filipinos below the poverty Because they are pressured to pay bills, payments, and threshold. to put food on their plates. Wanting to get back onboard Labor Assistant Secretary Nikki Tutay said that so that they’ll be paid, but they can’t embark easily 500,000 overseas Filipino workers have been displaced because of the border closure of airlines. And to some, as of August 30. He further mentioned that this number loss of jobs of course. This is because a lot of vessels are could rise to 700,000 by December if the situation does laid off, bankrupted, and did not embark because of this not improve. pandemic). In particular, Marina Administrator Robert He further mentioned that aside from career Empedrad confirmed a slowdown in deployment of anxiety, both unemployed and onboard seafarers are

subjected to mental health issues.

“As a seafarer, this pandemic made the harsh life at sea even harder. With all the restrictions, indi na basta basta maka-shoreleave, stay on board na lang gid for whole contract. And apektado gid ang crew changes because of border restrictions. Kaya ang mga seamen end up being onboard for 1 year or more kasi indi mafacilitate ang disembarkation. Stranded onboard kaya affected emotionally, indi makapagtrabaho ng maayos and that leads to depression,” 2/O Joven Necor said. (As a seafarer, this pandemic made the harsh life at sea even harder. With all the restrictions, you cannot easily go on shore leave, you have to stay onboard for the whole contract. And, the changing of crew is really affected because of border restrictions. That’s why seamen end up being onboard for 1 year or more because their disembarkation cannot be facilitated. [They’re] stranded onboard so they’re affected emotionally, they can’t work properly and that leads to depression.) After 18 months, 2/O Necor decided to embark again. Albeit hesitant, Joven’s love for his family surpassed the risk COVID-19 entailed. They were Filipinos—resilient enough to find strength in suffering. Dark clouds encroached the sky—rain was about to fall. The atmosphere wasn’t even so welcoming. She was on Gate 13—the last gate she had to pass through before finally going home in Iloilo after two years. She had negative swab test result but it wasn’t a sigh of relief for Phoebe yet. She needed to put cold, wet cloth on her forehead—her strategy to get through temperature checks all the way from Malaysia to Philippines. Phoebe was burning with fever brought by fatigue caused by her abusive Malaysian employer, who overworked her prior to repatriation. Phoebe worked as a Domestic Helper in Malaysia for two years. She started to believe that working for other people might pave the way for her to get the life she dreamed for her family back in Iloilo. Only to find out

WHAT CAN I DO TO COPE WITH THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 QUARANTINE?

The Philippine economy is forecast to contract by 7.3% in 2020 amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic before growth returns to 6.5% in 2021, according to a new report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) released today.

The Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2020 Update projects a deeper decline in the Philippines’ economy than ADB’s June forecast of 3.8% contraction, with subdued private consumption and investment expected for the rest of the year and uncertainties about the global economic recovery.

The economy is expected to rebound in 2021 as the outbreak is contained, the economy is further opened, and more government stimulus measures are implemented. Downside risks next year include a slower than expected global recovery that could weigh heavily on trade, investment, and overseas Filipino worker remittances.

Source: https://www.adb.org/news/philippine-economy-declinefurther-2020-amid-covid-19-recovery

that she was taking the wrong path. When she got to Selangor, Malaysia in 2018, she never thought that she would be subjected to harassment and abuse. At first, she was deprived by her agency of her phone, utterly disconnecting her from her family in the Philippines for almost a month. Her employers were a couple — the husband was always away, attending his business and the wife was responsible for her 24/7. The latter would later on worsened Phoebe’s situation. She was only allowed to use her phone every Friday (her day-off) for only ten minutes. She would starve her every day; would exhaust her by unbearable chores. Aside from spitefully badmouthing her, her employer would even throw things at Phoebe. Sometimes the woman would intentionally crush her fingers by car doors. For some time, Phoebe thought she could bear all the violence and ill treatment until she could finish her contract for two years. But then, the pandemic happened and Malaysia needed to implement lockdown protocols nationwide. Starting March 2020, since everyone must be in quarantine, Phoebe was stuck not just with her female employer, but also with her employers’ three children. She thought she could seek refuge from any of them but it turned out to be even worse. Her employers’ children who were aged 30-40 years old, maltreated her even more. From one person, she became to be somehow a ‘paid slave’ of five people. It was the first quarter of September 2020 when Phoebe talked to her employer about her expiring Visa and contract. Yet, instead of booking her for a flight back to the Philippines, they even extended her stay, making the global pandemic as an alibi.

“Way takon naghuna-huna nga gamiton pagid nanda ang COVID para indi ako kauli. Okay lang man abi mag extend stay mo tuya biskan expired don Visa mo kag kontrata hay may COVID pa. Pay asta nga gin testingan pa nanda ako pa renew-hon ka kontrata pay indi takon,” Phoebe said. (I never thought they would use COVID to hold me even longer. It was fine to extend your stay even though your Visa and contract were already expired because there was still a pandemic. And then they tried to make me sign for a contract renewal but I refused.) Later on, they booked Phoebe a flight back here after she fought and insisted that she needed to go home. But her agony didn’t stop there. While waiting for her ticket, she toiled even more for nearly a month. They exhausted and starved her even more that would probably last for days. She tried to ask for at least a day of rest. But not an hour was given to her. Instead, she was just advised to take Panadol to get well. That’s why days prior to her flight, she was burning with fever because of fatigue.

“Di ko gihapon kapati nga kauli don ko. Mas sobra pa tana antos ko tu kaysa sa kaimulon di,” she was crying as she reminisced the hardships she had gone through. (I still can’t believe it that I am now home. My suffering from abuses there is incomparable from the poor life here) After two years, Phoebe was in safe haven again. Her story of fighting back and rising from the rubbles of abuse and violence was an empowering narrative where women could learn from especially during these most challenging times. COVID-19 remains to be what it is — a pandemic. It serves neither as a hindrance nor a blessing. Filipinos have no choice but to be resilient; they have to be. Dark clouds will continue to encroach the sky, yet the sun will reign supreme. What seemed to be dull in sight before, will eventually prevail and be unraveled.